An amber weather warning has been issued for Essex for later this week.

The Met Office has warned of strong winds across the south on Friday (February 18) as Storm Eunice rolls in.

It's the second of two storms set to affect the country this week, with Storm Dudley expected to bring disruption to northern parts today. (Wednesday)

When Storm Eunice strikes, inland areas could see gusts of up to 80mph with as much as 95mph in coastal areas. 

The amber warning for Eunice, which covers the entirety of southern England and parts of the north as well, on Friday is in place from 3am until 9pm.

The Met Office says there is the potential for damage to buildings and homes, for disruption to transport systems and on the roads, and for trees to come down.

Power lines could also come down which could cause power cuts.

UK Power Networks, which manages electricity supply in our region, says it has organised for additional staff to be in its contact centre and have more engineers on the ground when Storm Eunice hits.

In a message to councillors, the supplier said: "Our electricity network is built to be resilient but strong winds and heavy rain can bring down branches and trees, damaging overhead power lines. Where this happens we work to restore power as quickly and safely as possible."

People are advised to stay clear of power lines and report damaged power lines immediately by calling 105 free from either a landline or a mobile phone.

If they see electricity lines that are down or causing significant risk to the public they should call 999.

Met Office chief meteorologist Frank Saunders has said: "An active jet stream is helping to drive low-pressure systems across the country, with both storms set to cause some disruption and national severe weather warnings have been issued.

"Significant disruption is possible from both Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice with strong winds one of the main themes of the current forecast. The most impactful winds from Dudley will be in the north on Wednesday afternoon, as shown in the amber warning area.

"Storm Eunice is expected to track eastwards from early on Friday, bringing the most significant winds to the central and southern areas of the UK, with some gusts possible in excess of 95mph in exposed coastal areas."